StupidScript - 6:11 pm on Jan 29, 2007 (gmt 0)

Not at all surprising, but not because of the relative values of the sites. Rather we are seeing the results of strategic placement within a default operating system setup.

Yahoo toolbar is installed by default in Windows XP Media Center Edition, and in other XP distros. Not to mention regular prodding to install it by companies like Adobe. As long as the user has not uninstalled the toolbar and has their web browser open, they are 'spending time' on Yahoo. Unless the numbers are adjusted to account for toolbar behavior, including Google's, it's hard to give them weight.

I still prefer to get my numbers from HitWise (which is not, apparently, a contributor to Compete.com's data sources.) Compete's primary data source is, in fact, their toolbar, with a few additional resources being provided on an ad hoc basis.